1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power supply connector, a vehicle and a control method for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a technique for supplying electric power from a vehicle to an electrical device outside of the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, as an environmentally friendly vehicle, a vehicle that is equipped with an electrical storage device (for example, a secondary battery, a capacitor, or the like) and that is propelled by driving force generated from electric power stored in the electrical storage device becomes a focus of attention. Such a vehicle, for example, includes an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell electric vehicle, and the like. Then, there is suggested a technique for charging an electrical storage device mounted on these vehicles using a commercial power supply having a high power generation efficiency.
There is known a hybrid vehicle that is able to charge an in-vehicle electrical storage device from a power supply (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “external power supply”) outside of the vehicle (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “external charging”) as in the case of an electric vehicle. For example, there is known a so-called plug-in hybrid vehicle that is able to charge an electrical storage device from a power supply of an ordinary household by connecting a wall outlet installed in a house to a charging inlet provided on a vehicle via a charging cable. By so doing, it may be expected to improve the fuel consumption efficiency of the hybrid vehicle.
In such an externally chargeable vehicle, the concept that a vehicle is regarded as a power supply source and electric power is supplied from the vehicle to a general electrical device outside of the vehicle as in the case of a smart grid, or the like, has been studied. In addition, a vehicle may be used as a power supply in the case where an electrical device is used in camping, outdoor work, or the like.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-035277 (JP 2010-035277 A) describes a charge/discharge system for a vehicle that is able to charge a battery mounted on the vehicle using a charging cable. The charge/discharge system is able to supply electric power from the vehicle to an electrical load using a power cable exclusive for power supply, which is different from a charging cable, and to which a power supply plug of the electrical load outside of the vehicle is connectable.
In the system described in JP 2010-035277 A, determination as to whether it is a charging mode or a power supply mode is made on the basis of a pilot signal from the power cable. Then, in the case of the power supply mode, basically, electric power stored in an electrical storage device mounted on the vehicle is supplied to an external electrical device.
As described above, it has been studied to supply electric power from the electrical storage device mounted on the vehicle; however, a period of time during which electric power is allowed to be supplied is limited only with the electric power stored in the electrical storage device.
In a hybrid vehicle on which an electrical storage device and an engine are mounted, a rotating electrical machine is driven by the engine to make it possible to generate electric power. Therefore, it may be expected to supply electric power for a long period of time by driving the engine in addition to electric power stored in the electrical storage device.
However, in the system described in JP 2010-035277 A, it has not been studied to supply electric power generated by driving the engine in a power supply mode in a hybrid vehicle.